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By Irving Hartmann

The Bureau of Minas has been charged by the Congress with the responsibility for administrating the provisions of the Federal Coal-Mine Safety Act. One of the important duties of bureau inspectors under this act is to determine whether proper measures are taken to prevent mine explosions, which in moat miner includes Judea adequate rock dusting The investigation made after the explosion in Orient No. 2 mine, December 21, 1951, showed that much information is lacking on the adequacy of current rock-dusting and duet-sampling practices in the United States. To obtain such information, an intensive sampling survey was conducted by the Bureau in an Indiana coal mine. This paper summarizes the more Important findings from this survey, describes special samplings at several Pennsylvania coal miners, and discusses related studies in the Bureau's Experimental coal mine.

Jan 1, 1954

By George S. Rice

"The author was a member of a Commission sent by the Secretary of the Interior to France to investigate developments in mining and metallurgy under stress of war conditions, and also to observe the extent and character of the destruction of the collieries and the steel and iron plants, and methods which were being taken to reestablish them. This commission consisted of F. G. Cottrell, Chief Metallurgist of the Bureau of Mines, Frank H. Probert, Dean of the University of California Mining School, and George S. Rice, Chief Mining Engineer of the Bureau. While conducting this investigation a trip was made to the Saar Basin to observe the conditions there. Following this Mr. Rice acted as advisor on mining matters to the Representative of the Economic Council in an Interallied conference held at Cologne in April 1919, and subsequently visited the mining districts in central and southern France, Belgium, and Great Britain.The Germans, in planning a campaign for world supremacy, had as one of their first objectives the seizing of the important Briey iron ore deposits of France and the coal fields of Belgium and northern France.Large resources of coal and iron have led to the commercial greatness of the countries possessing them, as exemplified by the great development first in England then in the United States, and in Germany when the minette high phosphorus iron ores became useful through the invention of the Thomas and Gilchrist dephosphorizing process in 1878. However, this development was anticipated by the German scientific advisors in 1871, and led to the then known deposit of minette ore in Lorraine being taken from France by Germany.When these ores became available, Germany made such tremendous strides that its minette ore developments were not sufficient and importation of ore was necessary. Meantime France, by drilling, had established the extension of the minette ore field into French Lorraine. Then it was discovered that France had greater resources, while the German resources were being rapidly depleted.Although Germany, in its Westphalian basin, possessed the most important coal field on the Continent, containing the largest resources in coking coal outside of Great Britain, its coal was distant from the sea coast, so it could not be an important factor in the export business. No doubt this fact caused the German Imperialists to look forward: to securing the coal basin of Belgium and northern France for future ocean trade.It was a striking feature in the German conduct of the war that, although the steel and iron plants of Belgium and France and other industrial establishments in the invaded regions of Belgium and France were utterly destroyed, the iron mines in French Lorraine were not destroyed nor materially damaged by the Germans in their retreat, while the destruction in France continued until the day of the Armistice. The other striking fact is that the coal mines Of Belgium were not destroyed. It can only be conjectured whether this was due to President Wilson's threat of retribution, which did not stay their hand in France, or was due to the fact that they did not consider Belgium as a real competitor. It was evident they wished to cripple France industrially when they could not hold these northern provinces."

Dec 1, 1919

By E. W. Parsons

Permanent support of the back is an important economic factor in maintaining a tunnel or other underground opening in condition to render the service for which it was driven. Timber has been most commonly used for support in tunneling and drifting because of its strength and ease of installation. Even when treated for decay, however, timber is subject to deterioration and, over a long period of time, should not be considered a permanent support. Concrete support or lining is permanent and has been used in tunnels of every size for many years but has been almost exclusively cast in place, a difficult, costly process. This report deals with the design and installation of precast concrete supports to combine the best features of both methods.

Jan 1, 1958

A preliminary research and development program dated April 25, 1974, was prepared for Development Engineering, Inc. (DEI) for laboratory, field and other engineering studies on the disposal of retorted oil shale. This program was revised and published as a final document dated December 17, 1974. The document included discussions on the peculiarities of retorted shale materials to be investigated and discussions of the various laboratory and field tests which would need to be conducted to define their physical and chemical properties. The proposed research and development program was divided into eight work phases as follows: I Program Development. II Exploratory Laboratory Tests on Old U.S.B.M. Retorted Shale. III Laboratory Tests on Pilot Plant Retorted Shales. IV Laboratory Tests on Retorted Shales from the Semi-Works Plant.

Jan 1, 1976

By E. R. Rodriguez

Improved practice resulting from recent changes in the method of supplying compressed air and in pneumatic drilling equipment used in secondary drilling and in development work at the Morenci mine of the Phelps Dodge Corp., has resulted in improved safety conditions, as well as in a reduced cost per foot of drilling. A large stationary compressor installed outside the mining area and the compressed-air pipelines in the mine were replaced by portable compressor units. A self-propelled, self-contained drilling unit was obtained for drilling large footages where short moves were involved. Large wagon-drill units were replaced by faster and lighter drill machines and conventional bits by carbide insert bits. The safe practices employed in air drilling and in the related blasting and scaling operations have contributed to an excellent safety record at this mine. The complete sets of instructions listed in the company codes of safe practice aid materially in training employees.

Jan 1, 1956

By A. D. Mah

To assist Bureau of Mines research in extractive metallurgy and to add to the thermodynamic data base useful to others, energy calculations were made for 63 reactions relating to investigations on the production of anhydrous aluminum chloride from chlorination of clay.

Jan 1, 1982

By George F. Dana

Oil yields, lithology, and stratigraphy have been evaluated for 15 cored wells and two sampled wells representing 10 square miles of the Tipton Member of the Green River Formation near Green River, Wyo. The area evaluated is being used by the Bureau of Mines for experimental production of oil from the oil shales in place. Lithology and oil yields were correlated to produce a stratigraphy diagram for the in situ study area, permitting precise designation of comparable sections. Because of lateral uniformity of oil shale, oil yields from eight cores and two sets of drill-cutting samples within a quarter section show the range of variation in average oil yield arising from experimental error. Variation in average oil yields from the seven cores representing the 10-square-mile study area lies within the expected experimental error. No difference in oil-shale richness across the study area is indicated. Average oil yields for three Tipton sections in the study area were deter-mined as follows: (1) The entire Tipton Member oil shale (about 145 feet thick), 13.3 gallons per ton; (2) the 40-foot upper rich zone, 21.0 gallons per ton; and (3) the 21-foot zone in which the Laramie Energy Research Center is conducting in situ experiments, 22.4 gallons per ton. One acre of the 21-foot experimental section represents 34,300 barrels of oil in place, and 1 acre of the Tipton's 40-foot rich upper layer represents 62,000 barrels.

Jan 1, 1972

By Lester G. Morrell

While developments in Australia dominated the minerals industry of the South Pacific area, New Caledonia's nickel, manganese ore from New Hebrides, gold from Fiji and New Guinea, and phosphate rock from several small islands were significant in world supplies of those materials. The total value of mineral commodities produced in this area in 1965 has been estimated at about $763 million an increase of nearly 16 percent over the value reported in 1964. Increases were recorded in mineral production value with respect to that of 1964 for all of the countries except Papua-New Guinea where lower gold output resulted in a drop of about $300,000 and in the several phosphate-producing islands that collectively recorded a value decline of around $1.3 million. Exploration and development activities continued at an intensified level, not only in Australia and New Zealand but also in the British Solomons, Bougainville, and Fiji. Substantial additions to world supplies of iron ore and bauxite are assured and recent discoveries of natural gas, manganese ore, and nickel combine to give Australia a brilliant mineral outlook. Important discoveries of copper on Bougainville Island and on Vanua Levu, the north island of the Fiji group, and a gold mine on Misma Island were being developed during the year, with plans for early production underway. In New Zealand progress has been made on the New Zealand Steel Company project, and preliminary appraisal of a new titano-magnetite beach sand resource on the South Island has aroused considerable industrial interest. Extensive geophysical investigations were carried out in the British Solomon Islands and on Fiji's goldfields. The expansion program that will double output of products by New Caledonia's Société Le Nickel continued through 1965, and several foreign private companies have expressed a desire to initiate additional industries based on nickel prospects in New Caledonia.

Jan 1, 1967

By Frank A. Peters

This Bureau of Mines report is the second of a series of process evaluations planned to determine the relative processing costs of producing metallurgical-grade alumina from low-grade aluminous materials. Included in these evaluations are recommendations for additional research and development to improve the processes and to lower their costs. The design for each process is based on published work. The processes considered in this report are designed to extract alumina as aluminum chloride from calcined clay with 20 percent hydrochloric acid and to remove the silica residue by filtration. Iron is removed by one of the following processes: Isopropyl ether extraction, in which iron chloride is extracted before decomposing the aluminum chloride; gas precipitation, in which the aluminum chloride is precipitated with hydrogen chloride while leaving the iron chloride in solution; gas precipitation-isopropyl ether extraction, in which the aluminum chloride from precipitation is extracted with isopropyl ether, if necessary; caustic purification, in which a crude alumina is produced and then purified by a modified Bayer operation; or sinter purification, in which a crude alumina is produced and then purified by a lime-soda sinter operation. For plants producing 1,000 tons of alumina a day the estimated operating costs per ton of alumina are: [Isopropyl ether extraction process $ 65.09 Gas precipitation process 89.04 Gas precipitation-isopropyl ether extraction process 119.65 Caustic purification process 73.79 Sinter purification process 80.47] The estimated fixed capital costs per annual ton for these plants on a Marshall and Stevens chemical equipment basis of 240.0 are: [Isopropyl ether extraction process $229.03 Gas precipitation process 287.16 Gas precipitation-isopropyl ether extraction process 356.59 Caustic purification process 266.48 Sinter purification process 279.13]

Jan 1, 1962

By James A. Browning

Following an unsuccessful attempt earlier in the program to develop and market a drill channelling machine, we have designed and tested a new continuous channelling method which reduces operating sound levels to below 100 db. This new method relies on a small diameter oxygen-enriched burner to produce narrow channels. Sound intensities are reduced substantially compared to conventional channel widths. They are further reduced by a water spray directed immediately above the flame. Baffles placed along the top of the channel will reduce sound levels to below 90 db. Cutting rates are greater than those of existing channelling burners with costs per unit of channel area substantially reduced for those cases where oxygen costs are reasonable.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. B. Ladoo

"Present Situation:At the beginning of 1920 a general feeling of optimism was noted in many talc-producing districts. The industry seems to have recovered from the temporary depression of the first half of 1919 and many mills are running at capacity production with their entire output for 1920 contracted for. The imports of talc for 1919 were only slightly larger than in 1918 by weight and probably no more by value. Thus foreign competition has not begun to be seriously felt. Several new companies in this country have been organized, some to operate new deposits and others to continue the work done by others.An interesting phase of the present situation is the possibility of increased use of talc in paint. There is a shortage of barium sulfate used as a paint filler. Since, for some uses, talc is considered second only to BaSo4 as a filler for paint, it is possible that part of the shortage could be relieved by an increased use of talc.A series of physical tests upon all pigment materials used in the manufacture of paints is being conducted for the Paint Manufacturers Association of the United States. It is important that all types of talc be represented in these tests. Producers of finely ground talc, 200 mesh and finer, are urged to submit samples of at least two pounds each of these grades that are available to paint makers with trade name and quality data, to the Institute of Industrial Research, 19th & B Streets, N. W., Washington, D. C., where the tests are being conducted."

Jan 1, 1920

By P. R. Miles, J. K. H. Ma, J. Y. C. Ma, L. Bowman

"The bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids are compounds which can be isolated from plants and which exhibit a broad range of pharmacological activities. Perhaps the best known alkaloid of this group is tetrandrine (TT), a compound isolated from the root of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Stephania tetrandra. It has been tested for its effects on the cardiovascular system, tumors, and the lungs. For example, tetrandrine has been shown to act as a calcium entry blocker in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles (King et a/., 1988) and has been used in China as a treatment for angina and hypertension. Its possible effects as a tumor-inhibitory substance have also been investigated (Kupchan and Atland, 1973). In addition, there are several lines of evidence to suggest that it is a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of silicosis. Yu et a/. (1983) have shown that TT inhibits the development of experimental silicosis in rats when it is administered orally after intratracheal instillation of quartz. Other studies have shown that the alkaloid inhibits the synthesis of collagen by fibroblasts and the formation of silicotic nodules in rats exposed to silica (Huang et al., 1981; Liu et al., 1983). In fact, tetrandrine has been used clinically in China as an antifibrotic agent and has been shown to improve both the appearance of chest radiographs and the measurements of diffusing capacity in patients with silicosis (Li et al., 1981).Since tetrandrine may have a potential use as a therapeutic agent for fibrotic lung diseases, its effects on various pulmonary cells and tissues should be studied. Alveolar type II cells are located in the alveolar regions of the lungs and are important because they are responsible for the synthesis and secretion of pulmonary surfactant (Dobbs et al., 1982; King, 1984), regeneration of the alveolar epithelium after lung injury (Kauffman et al., 1974), and metabolism of foreign compounds (Bend et al., 1985). Furthermore, in silicosis, for which TT has been suggested as a treatment, there are increased amounts of pulmonary surfactant produced (Dethloff et al., 1986a,b) as a result of increased rates of surfactant synthesis by type II cells (Dethloff et a/., 1989; Miller et al., 1988). Because type II cells play a critical role in maintaining normal lung function and because type II cells are affected in silicosis, for which 'TT has been used as a treatment, we studied the effects of tetrandrine on energy metabolism in these cells in vitro. Energy metabolism was chosen because it is a basic cellular function which is neces-sary for other cellular processes to occur. Since type II cells depend on mitochondrial metabolism for energy production (Fisher et al., 1980), we examined the effects of tetrandrine on cellular and mitochondrial ATP production and oxygen consumption. Additional experiments were performed in an effort to determine if intracellular calcium levels may be involved in the TT-induced effects. A preliminary report of those results has appeared previously (Ma et al., 1991)."

Nov 1, 1995

By D. E. Wolfson

As a part of its overall program of coal carbonization, the Bureau of Mines is studying the coking properties of coals that may be used for metallurgical purposes. The objectives of this study were given in detail in a previous report.2/ The inherent suitability of coal for metallurgical use depends primarily on (1) chemical composition, (2) preparation characteristics, and (3) carbonization behavior. The first two factors, as well as the available reserves, are considered in selecting coals for carbonization tests.

Jan 1, 1957

By Fredrick L. Johnson

In 1984, at the request of the U.S. Forest Service, the U.5, Bureau of Mines began a study of the 94,370-acre Arc Dome study area (4-667) in order to appraise its mineral resources, The Bureau of Mines mapped and sampled mines, prospects, and mineralized sites in and near the area, The study area is located in the Toiyabe National Forest, about 54 mi north of Tonopah, Nye County, NV, It is estimated that over 500 claims have been staked in the study area since the mid-1800?s. In January 1986, there were 108 active mining claims completely inside and 59 on the boundary. Another 283 active claims were outside the study area but within 1 mi of the boundary, In addition to the large number of claims staked, exploration activity is also reflected by the almost 700 inactive workings that were found during field investigation.

Jan 1, 1989

By Joan C. Biordi

[Composition profiles for atomic, radical, and stable species, as well as temperature and area expansion ratio profiles, have been determined for a nearly stoichiometric CH4-02-Ar flame and one to which 0.3 percent CF5Br inhibitor had been added. Net reaction rate profiles were calculated for all the observed species. For the normal flame, these and the mole fraction profiles gave rate coefficient information about the elementary reactions in the methane flame, for example, CH. + 0 4- H2CO 0 H, k4 = 1.05 X 1014CM3 mole-1sec-1 for 1,550§T 0,725' K; CO + OH 4 C02 + H, k6= 4.7 X 1011 for 1,350{T X1,750° K. Comparison between the inhibited and normal flame showed that A] and [CH3] were significantly reduced at the lower temperatures in the inhibited flame even though in the hot gas region the [E] [OH!, and [0] were essentially the same in both flames. The CF3Br disappears very early in the flame, relative to the fuel, and the reaction primarily responsible for its disappearance is H v CF3Br 4 HBr + CF3, where k7 is found to be 2.2 X 1014 exp(-9460/RT) for 700-1,550° K. Reaction of the inhibitor with methyl radicals provides for the relatively small amounts of CH3Br observed, but CH3 + Br2 - CHs Br + Br must also occur. The HBr formed reacts rapidly with H atoms to form H2 and Br, but the reaction is soon "balanced" in the flame as may be demonstrated by calculation of the equilibrium constant at various temperatures. The fluoro-carbon fragment produced in reaction (7) also reacts rapidly, in part with methyl radicals to give the observed elimination product CH2CF2 Later in the flame, above -1,400' K, F2CO is formed from the reaction CH2CF2 + 0 P F2CO + CH2 and k., -1.5 X 1013 at 1,600° K. The rather slow decay of carbonyl fluoride is attributed to reaction with H atoms according to the sequence F2CO I H - HF + FCO and FCO + H HF + CO.]

Jan 1, 1975

By R. S. Dean

In the early days, most smelters were erected in nonarable land and at some distance from settled communities. The movement of population, which resulted in many instances from employment at the smelters, has brought to most smelterman in the United States the problem of preventing damage to plant and animal life in the territory adjacent to the smelters by sulphur dioxide gas (S02). This problem has been met, broadly, in two ways: (1) By diluting and removing the S02 by means of air currents and (2) by converting the S02 to a liquid or solid compound of sulphur and disposing of the compound.

Jan 1, 1937

By R. S. Dean

In the early days, most smelters were erected in nonarable land and at some distance from settled communities. The movement of population, which resulted in many instances from employment at the smelters, has brought to most smelterman in the United States the problem of preventing damage to plant and animal life in the territory adjacent to the smelters by sulphur dioxide gas (S02). This problem has been met, broadly, in two ways: (1) By diluting and removing the S02 by means of air currents and (2) by converting the S02 to a liquid or solid compound of sulphur and disposing of the compound.

Jan 1, 1937

By D. S. Kingery

Efficient transportation is necessary to complement modern mechanized mining methods. The increasing trend toward high-capacity face loading equipment has demanded equally efficient haulage methods; this has been met by increasing mine-car sizes, using larger locomotives, and increasing haulage speeds, all requiring properly installed and maintained haulage roads specifically designed for this type of traffic. The recommendations and specifications included in this circular were made to point out salient factors important to the proper construction and maintenance of track haulage roads and to serve as recommended standards for track installation and maintenance. GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED Haulageway. - The track, walkway, trolley wire, feeder lines signal end telephone lines, signals, telephones, support, and drainage of the entry referred to. Subgrede. - The base upon which the ballast is laid.

Jan 1, 1954

By J. K. Whyatt

Assuring ground control safety in many mining and tunneling projects depends, at least in part, on an understanding of in situ stress conditions that will be encountered. Yet it is rarely practical to conduct more than a very limited number of stress measurements. Stresses along the route of a proposed excavation are typically interpolated from available measurements, often assuming a linear variation of stress with depth (or elevation). However, projects where multiple stress measurements are conducted often report more complex variations of in situ stress, usually in apparent relationship to geologic structures. These structures often include lithologies of contrasting elastic properties. A method is proposed for estimating stresses in these cases by first back-calculating regional loads from available stress measurements and then modeling the distribution of stress throughout the rock mass. The method has been successfully applied to a set of in situ stress measurements from the Coeur d’Alene Mining District of northern Idaho, USA. Results provided new insights into district stress conditions and the distribution of rockburst hazards along mine drifts and between various mines. This success should transfer readily to suitable deep tunneling projects.

By H. P. Hamlin, W. A. Grosh

Samples of clays , shales , and argillites from 21 locations were subjected to preliminary bench- scale tests for bloating properties , and several samples were tested for ceramic properties . Samples showing favorable bloating properties were further tested in a pilot - plant - scale rotary kiln . Physical characteristics and concrete -making properties of the bloated products were determined . The Decorah shale from one area made a suitable material for a lightweight aggregate ; however , the limestone layers in the formation must be eliminated or the resulting activated lime must be controlled by quenching .

Jan 1, 1963